Let's be Honest Here....

Let me just start by apologizing to all of the parents out there who I have unjustly judged over the years. Even though you may have not been aware, chances are, if I have ever cared for your kids, no matter how great a job you were doing, I found some aspect of your parenting/lifestyle/decision making to judge you on because you weren't doing it "the way I would do it." But now I get it....and by "it" I mean there is not always a right or wrong answer on how to handle particular parenting issues, and that no text book, child development expert, or degree program can really prepare you for being in the throws of full blown "parenthood." Sure parenting books are a nice guide, but if my TomTom GPS system has taught me anything, it's that "guides" are not always right and sometimes you just have to use your instincts, or at least whatever gets you and your offspring happily and successfully through the day (or if not happily, then at least alive).  That being said, let this entry be a testament to my new found empathy for all of the hard working parents out there just trying to make it work, and who don't always follow "the rules..." yet somehow their kids still turn out alright.

Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Mom:

* When I pick out my pajamas at night I always think to myself, "What would I not mind the UPS guy seeing me in," knowing in my mind there is a good chance I will still be wearing those same pajamas at 5 o' clock in the evening the next day.

* I quit nursing at 6 weeks. Back in the day, if a parent were to tell me this, I would think..."Well the American Academy of Pediatrics says you are to continue nursing for at least 6 month..." But do you know what I say now? I say "Shmamerican Shmacademy of Shmediatrics..." Let me just be frank here....My child, God love him, sucked at nursing (pardon the pun). Not to mention, around week 2 we started noticing him getting extremely fussy after meals...leading us to believe that it could have something to do with stomach sensitivity issues. After switching exclusively to sensitive tummy formula we started to see a big difference in his over all demeanor. Perhaps it was simply a coincidence and he just "grew out of his fussiness" after a few weeks, but we have been bottle feeding ever since and I don't regret it at all. Plus, it's nice not having to get naked from the waste up every two hours...

* On a related note...I heat up my bottles in the microwave rather than letting them slowly warm up in a bowl of warm water. Now before you go reporting me to child protective services, let me just say, when you have a baby who wakes up from a nap and consistently insists on being fed within minutes of being lifted form the crib (and by "insists" I mean screams), I do not have time to wait the 3-5 minutes or more that it takes to heat a bottle up the "right way." I have found that if I pop the bottle in the microwave for no more than 25 seconds and then shake it up really good, it is the perfect temperature and does not in fact burn my babies throat. So there.

* While I was still nursing I was told by various nurses/doctors/lactation consultants at the hospital where I gave birth that it is not recommended to give a baby a pacifier before 6 weeks of age because it can cause "nipple confusion" (yes, that's a real term) meaning your child may forget how to feed properly. But in the loosely translated words of our pediatrician, "If you are going to be an axe murderer in the morning because your baby can't sleep without something to suck on, then by all means give him the freakin' pacifier." Done.

* I post way too many pictures and videos of Baby Bo on Facebook. I am fully aware that my posts are probably "hidden" on a majority of my FB friend's newsfeeds by now, (that is if I was not defriended completely) but I just can't help it. He is so stinkin' cute sometimes and I just can't help but want to share the love....even when it is not willingly received. But rest assured people, if you are not a parent already, one day you will understand...If you're not a chronic Facebook baby picture poster, you will be the couple in your group of friends who can't stop talking about the exciting fact that your baby now holds his hands at mid line and whose digestive system is finally maturing enough to regulate his bowel movements to roughly one a day.

*As much as I love my baby and being able to stay at home during the day with him, being alone in a house all day with a 2 month old takes a toll. I literally go hours upon hours without uttering even a single phrase that would make sense to a grown-up human being. From about 6 a.m. until Mr. Bo returns home in the evening my speech is pretty much limited to various arbitrary consonant/vowel combinations, usually spoken in a sing-songy voice,  all in an effort to keep a smile on my sweet boy's face. Needless to say by the end of  the day I need a break. Nothing a stiff drink and an episode of "Portlandia" can't fix.

* While I have begun working on putting  Baby Bo down in his crib and letting him fall asleep on his own (which he has become a pro at, by the way) I often still hold him while he sleeps. If there is one piece of parenting advice that I believe is consistent across the board, it's that they grow up way too fast, sometimes without you even realizing it. I know that someday Baby Bo will be reluctant to just let me hold on to him and snuggle with him whenever I want (he is already beginning to struggle staying confortable and asleep in my arms, *tear*) so I want to soak up every last ounce of his sweet newborn-ness while I still can.